Baker not dwelling on his career achievements

CINCINNATI -- Sunday's 7-4 Reds victory over the Cubs marked career win No. 1,599 for manager Dusty Baker. It tied Baker for 18th on the all-time list with his former Dodgers manager and Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda.

As he approached the round number of 1,600 wins, Baker wasn't overly nostalgic.

"I don't even look at it. [Clubhouse manager] Rick Stowe is the one who tells me," Baker said on Monday. "If you're there, you might as well do it. Do it as soon as possible and move on to the next one.

"I never dreamed I'd be in this position. I never dreamed I'd be managing. It shows you what life's turns gives you sometimes."

Baker, 63, recalled advice he had gotten as a player from Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh, a nine-time Most Valuable Player for the Tokyo Giants.

"I was told a long time ago to not start looking at your accolades at what you've done. You don't look until you're through," Baker said. "[Oh] said you get to 10, to 11 [MVPs] and not look at what you've done until you retire."

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.